Everybody's trying to get to the front of the line. ("Hey, New Hampshire, move over!" "Quit shoving me, Florida!") How do folks think this might affect Al Gore's decision to run/not run? I imagine that this could help everyone in the top tier EXCEPT for Hillary - and that's good. :clap: However, Our Hero is not the only one to potentially benefit - Obama and Edwards could take a lot of support in FL). :?: Your thoughts?

Florida moves 2008 presidential primary to January
By Michael Peltier

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070503/pl_nm/...cs_florida_dc_1

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers, hoping to give their state even more influence in U.S. politics, on Thursday moved up the state's presidential primary to the last Tuesday in January.

Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican who has been building a reputation as a moderate in the mold of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said he would sign the measure, which also orders most touch-screen voting machines to be replaced with equipment that will produce a paper trail.

The January 29 primary date aims to give an even larger role on the national stage to the state that decided the 2000 U.S. presidential election and put George W. Bush in the White House following a five-week legal battle over vote recounts that was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Moving the primary, in which parties select their presidential candidates through open votes, would put Florida ahead of about a dozen states that have presidential primaries scheduled for February 5.

The rescheduling to earlier dates could wrap up the nominating races early and favor well-known, well-financed candidates.

"With an earlier presidential primary, Florida will now take its rightful place near the front of the line in determining the next leader of the free world," Crist said.

The measure was opposed by the mainstream national parties.

But state lawmakers said Florida, the fourth most populous U.S. state, was taking a backseat to others by holding its primary in March. The state's primary will now be preceded only by the New Hampshire primary and caucuses in Iowa and Nevada.

"It is a huge benefit to Florida and the issues that are important to Florida voters," said Rep. David Rivera, a Republican from Miami and sponsor of the bill.

"Now candidates will not only come to Florida to raise money in secluded country clubs and mansions, they are going to have to come and campaign and talk about issues that are relevant."

The new voting machines, to be funded with $28 million in federal money, must be in place for the 2008 presidential elections.

The introduction of a paper trail at elections was strongly supported by Crist. His predecessor as governor, Jeb Bush, the president's younger brother, had opposed it.

Touch-screen electronic voting was introduced in some counties after the fiasco of the 2000 presidential election. Crist said the use of optically scanned ballots would alleviate any doubt about an election's outcome.

"This legislation will preserve the integrity of Florida's elections and protect every Floridian's right to have his or her vote counted," Crist said.

Actually, this is a disaster. What I just read is that the FL legislature, which is GOP controlled, voted to move the primary up to January, but that violates the DNC's "no one else before Feb. 5th" rule, which says that no other states can move their primaries up into January and early February. And according to MSNBC: "The former DNC Rules Committee co-chair said she has no doubts that the DNC will enforce rules that will deprive candidates and the state of delegates to the national convention for holding a primary outside of the party's rules."

So we would be f*cked by Florida again? How can they let this happen? And if Gore runs, Florida would probably go to him--again.

:wtf:

The DNC would actually allow the Florida GOP legislators to screw the Dems in this way, even if the Florida Dems can't undo it???
:!:

The Iowa caucus is Jan .14, the NH the 22nd and Nevada Jan 19 and SC the 29th
so Florida doesn't conflict with those.

As for the technicalities that could incur, it would matter little in the end.
Whoever the public votes for in the primaries will end up, in the end, getting those delegates
The super ones of course are already in Bill Clinton's pockets, so nothing much will change with that

It will be interesting to see who Bob Graham backs.
Especially if Al gets in the race.
A Gore/Graham ticket is still perhaps the best one out there and would insure Florida goes democratic

Actually, here's another article on it, but it poses more questions than it answers:


Lawmakers Move Up Florida Primary to Jan. 29


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 3, 2007
Fla. (AP) -- Florida took a step toward shaking up the presidential primary on Thursday, giving final legislative approval to moving the state's 2008 primary to Jan. 29 and bypassing a dozen other states set for Feb. 5.

Moving up Florida's primary, which is currently in early March, would put the state's contest behind only the Iowa and Nevada Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary -- and on the same day as South Carolina's Democratic primary.

State party leaders have argued Florida's diversity and size merit more influence in deciding the nation's leadership. The delegate-rich state decided the disputed 2000 presidential election.

Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who has consistently voiced his support for giving the nation's fourth-largest state more say, is expected to sign the bill. The House voted 118-0 on Thursday to pass the measure. :?: (looks like no Democrats had a problem with this vote!) The Senate last week voted for the plan, which also would replace touch-screen voting machines in 15 counties with a paper-trail system.

''It puts us in a place where we should have been before, in my humble opinion,'' Crist said. ''It's the first mega-state that will weigh in on who the next leader of the free world is. It's important that we have that opportunity.''

Florida's move immediately incurred the wrath of South Carolina party leaders and predictions that the national parties will penalize the state.

National Republican and Democratic leaders have said they will take away delegates to the nominating conventions if Florida moved its primary earlier than Feb. 5. The Democratic National Committee has said a candidate who campaigns in Florida for a primary earlier than Feb. 5 will be ineligible for receiving any of the state's delegates.[/(you're right, Karen) :!:

Lisa Camooso Miller, a Republican National Committee spokeswoman, said Chairman Mike Duncan will ''unequivocally'' abide by RNC rules.

''Any state that chooses to hold their primary outside the recommended window will be penalized half their delegates,'' she said.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler, a former DNC Rules Committee co-chair, said she has no doubts that the DNC will enforce rules that will deprive candidates and the state of delegates to the national convention for holding a primary outside of the party's rules.

''Under Democratic Party rules, this is an illegal process. They will have to have their own legal process later,'' she said. ''This is not much more than a straw poll.''

Florida lawmakers have repeatedly said they will not cower in the face of sanctions from the national parties because they believe choosing the next president is more important than sending delegates to a convention with a preordained outcome.
:wtf:

Some 12 states, including California, New York and New Jersey, are scheduled to hold their primaries on Feb. 5, and at least seven others are looking to move up their contests.

Buried in the Florida bill is a provision that would allow state officeholders to run for federal office without resigning their current position. If he is tapped for a vice presidential slot, Crist could remain governor.

Polls have shown Crist, who came to office last November despite an anti-Republican climate, with approval ratings in the 70 percent range.

^------

Associated Press Writers Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., and Liz Sidoti in Simi Valley, Calif., contributed to this report.

But it doesn't mean the person won't get the delegates

It may (and probably in the end the Clintonitites would be crucified for going against public will)
but it may lead to a second primary later, but odds are, by that time, the person who won the first time will win the second anyhow

And what type of waste of money would that be?

And also, most likely, the other candidates will have already dropped out of the race, as it will be decided by Feb. 5, so it would be a formality.

If it is indeed a fact that the Florida primary will be moved up Jan 8,
IT WILL ONLY BENEFIT AL GORE-HE DOES BETTER IN THE SWING STATE
MATCH UPS AGAINST THE GOP THAN ANY OF THE DEMS THAT ARE RUNNING :rolleyes:

FLORIDA, OHIO,AND PENNSYLVANIA-WOOHOO!
:good:

THIS IS GETTING CRAZY!


Iowa May Move Up Caucuses
The Florida Legislature's decision "to move the state's presidential primary to Jan. 29 makes it more likely that Iowa's leadoff caucuses will be forced earlier -- within a week of New Year's Day," the Des Moines Register reports.

"Iowa's caucuses are tentatively set for Jan. 14, with New Hampshire's primary set to follow eight days later."

"Such a move would be prompted if New Hampshire's top elections official believes the traditional first-in-the-nation primary state's prominence is diminished by another state's contest. New Hampshire's secretary of state has legal authority to change the primary date."

I'm afraid the only sane solution to this insanity of "me first" is to have one national primary day (like election day). Make it later in the season (maybe March or so), giving the candidates time to raise money, campaign, debate, etc. Then just get it over with in one day. What's happening now is just nonsense and will destroy us.

That's true EM.